Chapter 61

Chapter 61 – Bastards from the Empire (1)

As my worries were piling up, the view of Marquis Foltaine’s back suddenly came to mind.

“......Let’s take care of the urgent matters first.”

Having organized my thoughts, I moved quickly.

“I need to go to the restroom for a moment.”

“Yes! Please go ahead!”

Glancing briefly at Harun, who playfully gave a salute, I quickly circled the training ground.

I never get a sense of foreboding for no reason. As expected, Marquis Foltaine was dragging his defeated son to a secluded spot.

“Hold on a moment!”

“......?”

The Marquis turned his head.

“......It’s you.”

Marquis Foltaine, having glanced in my direction, gave a crooked smile.

“Are you having fun?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t all of this just child’s play to you?”

“I am a child, after all.”

“Only on the outside. With your abilities, you could easily receive a title of nobility without going through any of this.”

It didn’t feel too bad. After all, he was acknowledging me.

“You flatter me.”

“It’s not you I hold in high regard, but my eye for something’s worth.”

“But others might think you’ve gone blind. So what can I do? I have to take the test like everyone else.”

“If you’re sincere, you should come to me instead. I could make you the youngest count in this country within ten years—no, five years.”

At that moment, Marquis Foltaine’s eyes flared with desire.

Flinch.

“F-Father......?”

Was it because the situation was so unexpected? Haiman de Foltaine, who was Jan’s opponent, involuntarily stumbled. At the sound, Marquis Foltaine clicked his tongue.

“Fool.”

“I-I apologize.”

“That boy is even younger than you, and yet here I am wasting my precious time just to witness such a pathetic sight......”

The more he spoke, the clearer it became. The intense killing intent emanating from Marquis Foltaine. The situation I feared was about to unfold.

“You’re not going to behead him, too, are you? Please stop there. You’ll end up shortening your lifespan with a temper like that.”

“......?”

For a brief moment, Marquis Foltaine hesitated, showing a peculiar expression.

“Are you now trying to interfere in another family’s affairs?”

“You have a rather unusual temperament. It’s happened once before, hasn’t it?”

“In that case, why don’t you take the place of this defect?”

He never misses an opportunity. On the other hand, as the conversation continued, Haiman de Foltaine’s face grew paler.

“F-Father, I-I’ll do b-better from now on!”

“Address me properly.”

“M-Marquis......”

Haiman de Foltaine’s face was full of despair. Watching him, I shook my head.

“Indeed, I don’t think I’ll be able to become your adopted son, Marquis.”

“And why is that?”

“If I lose my value, wouldn’t I be discarded just as ruthlessly as he is now? Or worse, I might lose my head.”

There’s already a precedent.

“Hahaha, that won’t happen. Didn’t I just tell you? I have a good eye for worth.”

“This isn’t about choosing the owner of an object; it’s about choosing parents to serve for life. I don’t want to enter a family where the parents don’t see their child as a child.”

Marquis Foltaine tilted his head.

“Not seeing a child as a child? Me?”

I nodded without hesitation.

“Of course, from your perspective, it might seem unfair. You wouldn’t say, ‘Get stronger, work hard, train diligently.’, to someone else’s child. On the other hand, you’ve invested your precious time on your own.”

“If you understand that, then why?”

“Because all those actions were for your own sake, not for the child.”

As if caught off guard, Marquis Foltaine stood there with his mouth slightly open.

“......What?”

“Don’t deny it. Even now, aren’t you thinking more about the reputation of the Foltaine family being tarnished than about the dark future of your child?”

“......”

Marquis Foltaine silently looked to the side. Haiman de Foltaine was still staring at the ground with his head bowed.

“......Hmph.”

“So what if he doesn’t become an excellent knight? There’s no guarantee that becoming such a knight will necessarily bring happiness.”

“Of course it would.”

“Is that from personal experience?”

“Are you saying it’s not?”

“I, at least, don’t believe that strength and happiness are directly connected.”

Marquis Foltaine scoffed.

“Money might not be everything in this world, but there’s nothing quite like it. The same goes for the position and skill that bring in that money.”

“I’m just advising you to look at your child as a child. You may have said those things for their benefit, but don’t be upset when your grown child doesn’t understand your intentions. I assure you, as time goes on, that relationship will be increasingly difficult to repair.”

“Nonsense. You can say that easily because it’s someone else’s child.”

“I would have said the same even if it were my own child.”

“What does a kid like you know to be spouting off like this!?”

For the first time, Marquis Foltaine raised his voice. A faint smile appeared on my lips. The fact that my words unsettled him meant he was already aware of the truth.

“What if someone else’s child goes astray because of this? Will you take responsibility?”

“Even if I do nothing, it seems like he’s already as astray as one can be.”

“......”

Marquis Foltaine fell silent. It was an undeniable fact.

“Who knows? Maybe it’s your way of educating that’s brought your children to this state.”

“......If I hadn’t done this, they would have gone even further astray.”

“Who could you blame? They’re your own flesh and blood.”

“You insolent brat......!”

“Life is already so short. The days you spend with your children amount to just a few short years.”

I spoke with conviction.

“So, at least for that short time, why not just give them love? Among the things that money cannot buy is time.”

“For me, a child’s value is determined by whether they meet my expectations or not. That kind of love, save it for your own children when you have them.”

“Do you think I’m saying this for your children’s sake?”

“What?”

“I’m saying this for your sake.”

“......!”

Marquis Foltaine’s eyes widened.

“Are you referring to that illegitimate child? You didn’t do it for that reason, and besides, it wasn’t even your biological child.”

Pause.

Marquis Foltaine flinched and made a peculiar expression.

“......You knew?”

“You were never particularly interested in women, even in your younger days. I thought it was strange from the start.”

“Ha. They say there are no secrets in this world.”

“I respect you for providing a roof for that child, even though they were the result of your wife’s affair. Even when they caused trouble with the money they took from the family, you tolerated it for years.”

Marquis Foltaine scowled and downed his drink.

“Damn it. Enough talk about children. What are you planning to do?”

“Hmm?”

“I heard you’re protecting Princess Winley.”

Duke Herman’s expression hardened once again.

“......Where did you hear that?”

“In this small capital, it’s obvious. The princess didn’t just disappear into thin air.”

Finally, Duke Herman sighed.

After all, Duke Kairos already knew.

“......Actually, the princess participated in the recent knight examination.”

“You mean that child, Winzer?”

“Don’t tell me you knew that too?”

“Probably everyone knows by now. They’re just pretending not to because she’s being protected by someone higher up.”

“Hah. So it wasn’t just that old man Kairos who was sharp.”

Duke Herman shook his head.

“So, I secretly approached that prince from the Duchy of Meeke and asked him to take it easy on her.”

“Hahaha. And even better if he lost, right?”

“......If something were to happen to the princess, it would be a major problem.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“Hah, I won’t try to deceive you. The plan was to get her a proper knight status and then send her off somewhere far away.”

Marquis Foltaine nodded.

“So that’s the story. And that ill-tempered prince ended up beating her up.”

“This might sound strange, but...... honestly, it was a relief.”

“......?”

Marquis Foltaine’s eyes showed a hint of contempt.

“......Is that what you’re into, Duke?”

“Huh?”

“Perhaps you’ve developed a new taste, seeing a child like your own being treated that way......”

“Hey, you old scoundrel!”

“Or not.”

Marquis Foltaine chuckled as he poured another drink.

“It’s just...... wasn’t it something we couldn’t have imagined?”

“Excuse me?”

“Despite all the intimidation I threw at her, that child didn’t back down. Whether it was her faith in the situation or confidence in herself.”

“With a cheeky brat like that, it’s probably both. She even dared to stand up to me.”

“If we had that kind of mindset, maybe we could have gone through with it on our own? I suddenly felt that regret. What were we so afraid of that we had to bring in foreign powers......? In the end, independence without autonomy is only half-realized.”

Marquis Foltaine sighed.

“You and I had too many people to protect.”

“Huh?”

“We didn’t want our people to get hurt, isn’t that right?”

Duke Herman smiled bitterly.

“You might already know, but tomorrow the palace has summoned all the dukes and marquises.”

“Because of the Empire?”

“That’s right. I’m planning to give a firm warning to the bastards from the Empire.”

Marquis Foltaine’s eyes widened.

“That should be quite a sight.”

“Duke Kairos said something similar. If we brought in foreign powers, we should finish the job properly.”

“Damn that old man. If he had played nice from the beginning, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Marquis Foltaine grumbled to himself.

“In any case, do as you see fit, Duke.”

“You’ll be okay with it?”

“I promised them only two things. A marriage of convenience for Princess Winley wasn’t one of them.”

“But they won’t see it that way. In this world, power is justice.”

Marquis Foltaine lifted the bottle.

“So right now, we’re ‘evil’, huh?”

Duke Herman smiled bitterly as he took the drink.

“You’re only realizing that now? In this harsh world, the weak are always the villains.”

“And to that cheeky brat, we’re the justice.”

“Haha. I suppose you could put it that way.”

“Duke.”

Marquis Foltaine’s expression had turned serious.

“I want to adopt that child as my son.”

“Suddenly?”

“I thought I had lost all desire with age...... but I was wrong. Now, I feel like I’ll go mad if I don’t have him.”

Marquis Foltaine even straightened his posture as he spoke.

“He’s already been abandoned by his own family, hasn’t he?”

“That’s strange. Didn’t you want to kill him?”

“Talented individuals with both character and ability are hard to find across the entire continent. If he cares that much about his family, he wouldn’t betray his father, at least.”

“I agree with that.”

“He was born to the wrong parents, and I had the wrong children. As birds of a feather, I think if we develop a father-son relationship, we might make a pretty good pair.”

Marquis Foltaine stood up and bowed respectfully.

“That’s why I came. My future son offended the princess. Please forgive him this once.”

“Haha...... this is driving me crazy. You’re already acting like his father?”

“I need your help in this matter, after all.”

“So that was your real reason. Ah, sit down, sit down. No need for formality between us.”

“It’s important to be cautious, especially with those we consider close.”

Duke Herman chuckled softly as he waved his hand.

“Enough. But shouldn’t you be asking for permission and help from the Duchy of Meeke instead?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

At that moment, Marquis Foltaine lifted his head and smiled slyly.

“To them, we are justice too.”

***